Differences in the Behavior of Anthocyanin Coloration in Wines Made from Vitis vinifera and Non-vinifera Grapes

The skins of Vitis vinifera species contain 3-glucosyl anthocyanins (3G), but some non-vinifera species, such as ‘Yama Sauvignon’ (YS), contain a large amount of 3,5-diglucosyl anthocyanins (35DG), and the behavior of anthocyanin coloration with respect to pH is quite different. The anthocyanins of YS showed a very weak color at a pH of 3 or higher but a very strong color below a pH of 3. Furthermore, when we investigated the effect of co-pigmentation in commercially available wines, we found that YS red wine contained a large amount of co-pigmented anthocyanins, and even wine aged for about 4 years contained a large amount of co-pigmented anthocyanins. Due to concerns regarding disease resistance, many hybrid varieties of V. vinifera and non-vinifera species have been bred, but it is important to take these special properties of 35DG into consideration when producing wine.